In arms, one jab at a time. Also in the programme. President trump casts a long shadow over Georgias Senate run off races, with a phone call that has baffled some, infuriated others, and sparked chaos within the republican party. Plus, how a new years eve broadcast from russias president turned into a massive headache for the nations state broadcaster, or maybe, half a headache. Hello, im katty kay in washington, Christian Fraser is in london, and welcome to our First Programme of 2021. With each new year come new beginnings, a chance to look at how the world is changing and whats remained the same, and right out of the gates, 2021 is feeling a bit too familiar. So, before we go any further, katty and i are going to give you a rapid fire, lightning speed recap of where things stand. Ready . Ready. Donald trump . Still president. For now. Hes doing everything he can to try to stay in office, with bizarre results. Well discuss. Covid . Still raging, no end in sight. More than 200,000 new cases were reported here in the usjust control of the us senate . Still undetermined. Ask me tomorrow. Or maybe wednesday. Your location . I am out of my basement, so some things have changed right, your turn. Brexit. The uk left the eu on new years eve. Lots of questions over how itll play out. Technically, its over. Technically next. Covid lockdowns. Getting worse. In the past hour, borisjohnson set out the toughest restrictions weve seen since the start of the pandemic, so not the best start to the new year. Vaccines . Rolling out. Quicker here than in europe, but still not quick enough. There have been delays and delays as we know have devastating consequences. But the astrazeneca roll out began today. And your hair . I went for a one cut strategy. Less positive. Pre christmas. Total disaster. Barbers now shut until mid feb. So, no change there. Apologies to our viewers. 0k, well, lets pick up then with the news that england is heading back into a National Lockdown. Boris johnson says the next few weeks of the pandemic will be the worst yet, as the new variant spreads, but we are, he said, tilting the odds against the virus. Its clear that we need to do more together to bring this new variant under control while our vaccines are rolled out. In england, we must therefore go into a National Lockdown which is tough enough to contain this variant. That means the government is once again instructing you to stay at home. You may only leave home for limited reasons permitted in law, such as to shop for essentials, to work if you absolutely cannot work from home, to exercise, to seek medical assistance such as getting a covid test, or to escape domestic abuse. The government has released new guidance that people in england must not leave or be outside of their home except where you have a reasonable excuse. The new rules mean all non essential shops in england will have to close. Hospitality venues like hotels will also have to remain shut, and that also extends to leisure centres, swimming pools and gyms. From tomorrow, all schools in england will switch to remote learning, apart from exceptions for a few pupils. University students have been told not to travel back to their accommodation unless they are on a few exempted courses. Households are banned from mixing indoors, but there is still an exception for childcare allowing you to form a childcare bubble with another household if necessary. It is the spread of the new variant covid i9 which has completely undone the uks strategy. Heres a stat for you on boxing day, there were 18,000 people in hospital in england. Today, there are almost 27,000. Desperate times. Here to discuss is susan micky, professor of Health Psychology at University College london and calum semple, professor of 0utbreak medicine at the university of liverpool. Both are members of sage, the uks Scientific Advisory group for emergencies. Susan, well come to you in a second. Calum, let me start with you. There was criticism of the government the first time around that they were too late to the full lockdown measures. As the timing right or have they been too slow ain . Right or have they been too slow again . Both of us have to speak in a personal capacity and have to resist comment on policy. Thats part of a role and is quite important that we dont comment on the policy decision. But it is inevitable that with this new variant, its transmitting so quickly in the community, is putting pressure on health services, putting pressure iiow health services, putting pressure now on health services, putting pressure now on other services such as telephone response systems for emergency services. It was inevitable that further restrictions had to come into place. Theres no real time limit on this and already, im picking up on social media that those opposed to lockdown measures are saying this amounts to indefinite home arrests. Should there be a regular review of the rules put in place . We have to dance to the tune that the virus is playing at the moment. The only science and society will get us out of this. We have to get the vaccine up of this. We have to get the vaccine up and going. We have to get people adhering to the regulations. If we had better self control on social distancing, adhering to wearing facemasks, washing our hands, he would not be in this mess. Theres nothing magic about this virus. Its human beings that transmits this virus. It society and science that can get us out. Professor mickey, we mentioned before he came to you the numbers that have leapt of hospitalisations. Since boxing day, that sound ten days ago, weve seen the surge. Would you expect the numbers carried on growing exponentially because people who may have gathered with other people may not yet be at a stage where they require hospitalisation . Yes, its too early to see the effects of any christmas or new years day affect. That will come in the next week or two in terms of hospitalisations. So, that means the numbers that we said from boxing day, if those are going to go even higher, what more pressure does that put on the health ca re system over pressure does that put on the Health Care System over the next week or two . Care system over the next week or two . It was huge pressure on the system, and thats why many experts we re system, and thats why many experts were calling for the government not to have such a liberal policy over christmas. But we are where we are, andl christmas. But we are where we are, and i think the important thing now is to really learn the lesson of the la st is to really learn the lesson of the last year. What we have seen this is that on the whole, the British Public have been incredibly adherent when they see that this really serious risk, and what they do can make a difference. But what weve also seen is that people do want to know the rationale for why things are being asked of them, especially with inconsistencies. We heard this evening from the Prime Minister that places of worship and nurseries are going to be kept open. I think it be good to explain that. I think whats really important at this stage is to Pay Attention to good leadership, and the qualities of good leadership are being very honest, being very clear and consistent and credible in whats being said. And the more we can build up trusted leadership, and its across the board, politicians, scientists, health professionals, many other community leaders. Stepping up and taking a role. I think that will really help people in terms of adhering. I think the other thing thats very important is for people to feel supported. People are being asked to really live in very challenging conditions, make a lot of sacrifices. In turn, its really important government be seen to this time constructively. A lockdown only buys time, it doesnt solve problems. The government needs to make schools and workplaces covid secure. To make schools and workplaces covid secure. That hasnt been done until iiow. Secure. That hasnt been done until now. Susan is right, consistency is the key word. Yesterday, schools we re the key word. Yesterday, schools were safe, today theyre not. I would say the government would say theyre trying to strike a balance. I would take an issue with that. We know children are less likely to be infected, particularly young ones. But schools have to be seen as functioning as a whole. There are nearly 22,000 primary schools who bring together adults, staff, the cookers and cleaners and the teachers altogether, so its not so much the children themselves. If the unit asa much the children themselves. If the unit as a whole presenting an opportunity for mixing. When you have to close everything, and schools are part of that, schools and University Part of the solution, but we shouldnt think they are the ones that are so unsafe that theyre driving the outbreak. We have to leave it there. Busy programme. Thank you very much indeed for those thoughts. Igrab i grab something from the printer from our health or respondent. It tells us why this is going to be a longer lockdown potentially. R number is 0. 9. 100 people r number is 0. 9. 100 people past that virus onto 90, then onto 81, then 73, then 66 and so on. You can see with those figures there that its a much slower downturn. The line goes on much more slowly than it did in march and thats why theyre saying its going to be a slower decline. Yeah, and also, presumably a longer lockdown then you did last spring. It makes me think that what is happening in the uk is going to have to happen in some form here in america. There are people partying and bars in miami. I saw pictures today. Not wearing masks. They are outside but still partying. We heard the governor of new york reading it saying the new strain of the virus is being found there in new york and somebody who hadnt travelled. The same in florida and colorado, the other two states they found it. That suggests theres Community Spread going on. Its hard for me to see how we dont have tougher lockdowns here. Moves the focus in two weeks time. I found a map that sums up my mood. I found found a map that sums up my mood. Ifound a found a map that sums up my mood. I found a meme. Found a map that sums up my mood. Ifound a meme. Hello, 2021 found a map that sums up my mood. I found a meme. Hello, 2021 that was gratuitous. Christian just want to get that on air, i am sorry. Politics have not changed either. Being a republican is no longer about where you stand on abortion or gun rights. Its about where you stand on the issue of President Trump saying that the election was stolen. And when you listen to the recordings of him pushing georgias top election official to overturn the States Election results, you realise he is absolutely convinced of it. The problem is, not all of his party agree. In an hour long call with georgias republican secretary of state, President Trump asked Brad Raffensberger to find votes that would prove his win something he refused to do. Take a listen. You seth weathers is a political strategist who was the Georgia State director of trumps 2016 campaign. He joins us now from atlanta. Think serie much forjoining us. I just want to play you something that Gabriel Sterling has been playing thanks so much. Hes given a press conference and he was asked at this press c0 nfe re nce conference and he was asked at this press conference what he made of what President Trump was doing, asking the georgia secretary of state to find those extra votes. Take a listen to mr sterling. State to find those extra votes. Take a listen to mr sterlinglj personally found it to be something that was not normal, out of place and. Nobody that was not normal, out of place and. Nobody i know who would be president would do Something Like that to a secretary of state. Not normal and out of place. What did you make of what mr trump said . Thanks for having me. I think the reality is that the media perception around that phone call, at least here in the us, is exaggerated and try to paint a picture thats not true. The president was not asking the secretary of state to come up with votes out of thin air and make up with votes out of thin air and make up the election results, he was asking him to do things the signature audit. His point was, the secretary of state would not have to go through those issues defined that amount of votes that would change the election. That was he was asking for. It was not this mafia version of things that youre seeing in the washington post. |j listened to the whole hour long conversation, so it wasntjust i listen to an excerpt. It was how i put my self to sleep last night. He did at one point say, you know what you did they did and youre not reporting it. Thats a criminal offence. It sounds like hes threatening the georgia secretary of state, doesnt it . Hes not threatening him. The point he was making, and he made this to rile the conversation, he seemed to believe they secretary of state knew their mistakes and the reason he didnt wa nt mistakes and the reason he didnt want to do the audits in fulton cou nty want to do the audits in Fulton County is because it would make him in charge of elections look bad. The president saying if you do this and fix any results, its not going to bea fix any results, its not going to be a matter of if you know these things happen and you dont fix it, that would be criminal. As head of elections, if you knew there was voter fraud, and didnt report it, that would be criminal. But its neither here nor there. Brad rapids berger said on Good Morning America that he thought it was inappropriate for the president to be speaking to him all they were in mitigation because there was a lawsuit at the white house is pushing with georgia. The white house to try 18 times to set up this call. The question i haveis set up this call. The question i have is why is he trying to get brad to change this result when he could put his evidence into court . There has been issues in georgia, like a case here in Fulton County where the president has tried to get a court date on it and has still not been assigned to a judge. Theyre essentiallyjust waiting assigned to a judge. Theyre essentially just waiting until after everything is certified for the election. There are cases where there still waiting on a hearing, which is ridiculous considering the severity. The problem for the judges is those allegations are just a tissue of conspiracy theories that hes pulled off social media, and a lot of them have been rebutted. Hes pulled off social media, and a lot of them have been rebuttedlj agree that a lot of things the president was pointing out in his phone call were things that are inaccurate, and he obviously received that from. From idiots he surrounded himself with. That does not make it some criminal situation for the president to call the secretary of state asking for further audits of the election. Asking for audits and investigations into the election from the president , there is literally nothing controversial about that. Know, except when its already been lit up litigated. And the election. All of those things have not been done though. We still havent have the signature audit in Fulton County. For whatever reason the secretary of state is not doing it. When asked about it, he would not respond to that last night, or la st not respond to that last night, or last week. 0k, seth, we have to leave it there. Thanks forjoining us. Its interesting, yet you said there we re its interesting, yet you said there were things the president said he got from the people whod given them an permit misinformation. I have an permit misinformation. I have a conversation with someone who speaks of the president regularly saying over the course of time, he has gone from believing he felt that the president believed he lost the election to now, because he only hears from people who tell him he won, he actually convinced himself he did win. Thats what it sounded like. He sounded like he believes that all. And he believes all of these conspiracy theories, too. For those watching on bbc world news, well be right back. In scotland, a new National Lockdown starts at midnight tonight in a push to contain the new, fast spreading variant of coronavirus. The tough new laws will apply to the scottish mainland until at least the end of january. Nearly 2000 new cases were reported in the country on monday. Heres scotlands first minister, nicola sturgeon. This is most certainly not the new years statement i wanted to give, and i know it is a statement no one wanted to hear. But as i said at the beginning, we are fiow in a race between the vaccine and the virus. We can already see by looking at infection rates elsewhere at some of what could happen here in scotland if we dont act to prevent that. We must act immediately and firmly. For government, that means introducing tough measures, as we have done so today, and for all of us, it means sticking to the rules. It means continuing to follow the facts, the guidance, and it means above all, staying at home. That is, again, our central message stay home, save lives, protect the nhs. So, a few minutes ago, we were getting the republican take on Tuesdays Senate run offs in georgia. Lets hear then from the other side. Werejoined by rashad richey. He is the former chief strategist for the Democratic Party in georgia, now a radio talk show host. I dont know if you heard our last interview, but i wondered if we can get your thoughts on the take and the phone call. What did it sound like to you . It sounded like donald trump is the best thing that ever happened to the Democratic Party. Hes been able to do something democrats can ever accomplish. He has severely split the republican parlay. Their has severely split the republican pa rlay. Their brand has severely split the republican parlay. Their brand is going down by the minute and he continues to conceal this idea and still this idea that voting doesnt change anything because everything is read. That equates to actual Voter Suppression inside of the republican party. I listened to that tape and talked about